Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After almost a decade of savage cuts and broken promises by the former Liberal government, the Albanese Labor government handed down its first budget last night. This budget is focused on delivering our election commitments and investing in our nation to ensure it is strong, innovative and resilient, ready to confront the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. I'm proud to be part of an Albanese Labor government that is helping Australians with cost-of-living pressures, while ensuring that we are sustainably addressing the trillion dollars of debt that's been left behind by those opposite. The Albanese government is delivering cheaper child care, because we understand that, to get our nation's productivity lifted, we need to improve affordability and access. This will ensure more parents can re-enter the employment market if they choose to. We are delivering on our election commitment to provide 20,000 more university places across Australia. The University of Newcastle, in my electorate, has secured 967 additional places. This means that more Australians will be able to train in the areas of the economy that need workers—teaching, nursing, IT and allied health. In addition, our government is providing fee-free TAFE to make sure we are training workers in industries hit hardest by the pandemic and in the care economy. In health care, the government will establish two Medicare Urgent Care Clinics on the Central Coast and cut the cost of medications on the PBS. The first Albanese Labor government budget is sensible, measured and practical for modern Australia.

Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When we left office, the Australian economy was strong. It was the envy of the world and it was definitely the envy of the OECD nations. There was record employment data—our unemployment figures started with a '3'; record low interest rates; and the highest female participation rate in the workforce ever in history. Our economy undoubtedly was strong. Remember during the COVID period when the unemployment queues snaked around the corner? People were losing their houses. People were losing their jobs. Their businesses were under threat. We put together the JobKeeper program, and every time we asked for money we brought it to the House, and those on the other side supported the spending. In fact, when we went to stop JobKeeper—and I highlight this for the people in the gallery, because on the other side you will continually hear the rhetoric that we left $1 trillion worth of debt—those on the other side said that the economy was going to fall off a cliff, and they wanted to keep spending. It was just as well we shut it off when we did. This week in the budget we saw what Labor's true plan is. Their true plan is higher electricity costs, higher interest rates, higher fuel costs. When Labor are in office and they run out of their own money, be absolutely sure they'll come looking for yours and they'll do it by way of higher taxes. Just you wait and see.

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last night's budget delivered one of the most important changes to gender equality and women's workforce participation that we have seen in decades. In the budget last night, it was announced that this government will increase the Paid Parental Leave scheme currently funded by the government to 26 weeks, or six months. Not only will it increase the entitlement; it will also make sure that it's accessible not just for women and birth mothers but for fathers and parents. Why is this important? For too long in this country, paid parental leave has fallen to the mother. It's often the mother that doesn't have the choice to return to work, because she is the one entitled to the paid entitlement. It locks fathers out of being involved, but it locks women in the home. This gender reform says to families: What's best for your family? Who is best to take the paid parental leave: is it mum or is it the partner? This is how forward-thinking this government is. It is taking gender equality seriously by giving the choice on paid parental leave back to households and back to families. That's the kind of reform this government is doing. I give a big shout-out to all the mums and future mums, because we're thinking of you.